Vive Pascal Tepper!

French master baker Pascal Tepper talks to Caterer about bringing baking brilliance to the Middle East and how he maintains the highest standards.

Caterer Middle East would like to think that if you typed the words “French baker” into a search engine, a picture of Pascal Tepper would appear.

Not only does Pascal Tepper look like the quintessential French chef, he cooks like one, and luckily for the Middle East, he has just brought his first outlet to the region.

The creation of a new company called Global Bakeries & Restaurants, set up jointly by Atlas Hospitality and Pascal Tepper French Bakery SARL, has opened the first dine-in bakery outside of France in Dubai Media City, which the French legend and holder of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France — a lifetime achievement award acknowledging Tepper as one of the country’s finest bakers — says “feels great”.

“It is quite wonderful to have our family legacy welcomed in this part of the world. Our plan is for this flagship to be the first of many in the region and further afield,” he says.

Tepper is the proud son of a baker and learned his trade in Pecquencourt, in northern France, where his father, an ardent defender of the traditional bakery, gave him a taste for good bread and a passion for business from a young age.

And it is this combination of business savvy and exceptionally high standards in the kitchen that the new company hopes to capitalise on — Pascal Tepper is very much part of a long-term strategy to build a strong F&B portfolio for Atlas Hospitality.

By the end of this year, Atlas will have completed the Pascal Tepper-franchise blueprint and be ready to contract partners for a multi-unit rollout across the region from 2012.

“We will open two more bakeries over the coming months, one each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi of 100m² and 200m² respectively,” Tepper explains.

“We will then assess the three operating outlets for optimum size, product range and facilities as we fine-tune the expansion strategy, for regional roll-out in 2012.”

Bringing in the dough
So what exactly is a Pascal Tepper outlet about?
The 400m² flagship outlet located in the hub of Dubai Media City boasts a menu made up unsurprisingly of bakery items, but it is the depth of range and quality that impresses.

It includes a French patisserie collection of 75-plus items, signature recipes for bread, pastries , breakfasts, salads and sandwiches, plus a selection of premium tea, coffee as well as smoothies and shakes that are made with Pascal Tepper ice cream.

“We have 18 ice cream flavours available for dine-in or take-out — I believe that this is a first for the locale. We also have Pascal Tepper-made chocolates, which are quite delicious,” Tepper asserts.

All the signature recipes will be made by ingredients that are imported from France, ensuring that what you taste in a Pascal Tepper French Bakery in Dubai is what you taste in France.

“We are looking to offer the exact French taste in a French-influenced environment,” he adds.

Tepper explains there were a number of factors as to why he chose Dubai for his company’s inaugural adventure outside of France. The UAE ranks third in the greater Middle East and Africa region for tourism expenditure on food and the region is “very well visited by tourists, business people, students, consultants, diplomats and sportsmen.”

“There are so many profiles, thus providing wonderful growth opportunities for the F&B sector. I am excited about the liveliness, potential and talent this region possesses,” Tepper says.

“The nationality mix and Dubai’s commercial culture brings an exciting opportunity to present a world-class bakery concept to a varied audience. This inaugural project with Atlas Hospitality is an example of our intention to develop and introduce Pascal Tepper French Bakeries to world markets, using the UAE as a springboard.”

Training and quality
For a man who prides himself on the quality and expertise that goes into his work, it is a daunting task to hand over some of the responsibility of the maintenance of your reputation. So Tepper puts a serious focus on training.

“Staff training is a fundamental thing at Pascal Tepper. We are what we are because of our identical work culture, consistent hard work, creative expertise and modern positioning,” he says.

The team members at the new outlet were picked for their talent and will be nurtured with what the company refers to as “Pascal Tepper energy”.
Initially, they undergo basic training under experienced hands and are later groomed to handle complex baking tasks.

“I am personally involved in training as well, and we set aside separate hours just to learn new things. My staff watch attentively and learn my kitchen drill. It gives me immense pleasure to pass our family secrets to my staff,” Tepper explains.

These “secrets” aren’t wasted on cheap products and Tepper stresses that quality comes before price, although he adds that he believes the price positioning is fair.

“The Pascal Tepper brand comes with a legacy of quality built on behalf of my team and for France,” he enthuses.

The first global outlet in Dubai Media City will bring this same legacy to the UAE: “The ingredients for the signature bakery recipes come ‘ready-made’ from France, to ensure the same Tepper experience wherever we have an outlet. Moreover, regular inspection, quality control, internal assessment and staff re-training will ensure uniform standards.”